Africa seeks enhanced Air Connectivity to Boost Tourism Growth
At the BONDay ahead of Africa's Travel Indaba 2024, tourism ministers from across Africa engaged in crucial discussions on overcoming air travel challenges hampering tourism growth on the continent. South African Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille emphasised tourism's power as an economic engine but noted hurdles like limited airport infrastructure, high airline costs, regulatory barriers, and financing difficulties.
Statistics revealed Africa's minor share of global air traffic, with intra-African travel accounting for just 20% of the continent's air traffic. Collaboration between stakeholders was highlighted as key, with successful public-private partnerships like those at Skukuza and Hoedspruit airports facilitating tourist influx cited as positive examples.
De Lille advocated a unified national air access marketing strategy in South Africa and explored the positive impact of visa waivers, as seen in the surges in arrivals between Kenya-South Africa and Ghana-South Africa following visa facilitation.
With China's outbound tourism flourishing, improving intra-Africa air connectivity was deemed vital to capitalise on this growing market. Ministers called for open discussions on supportive government policies, leveraging technology advancements, and addressing airlines' capacity shifts for sustainable tourism growth.
Proactive partnerships between governments, airlines, and tourism bodies were urged to address air travel bottlenecks, unlock Africa's tourism potential, and prepare the continent to welcome a wider range of visitors, including from emerging markets like China.
Source: Bizcommunity